The Legacy and Images of Bruce Martin … ABC Far North …

One of the saddest and most difficult interviews I’ve faced …

Recently I was asked by ABC Far North ‘Breakfast’ presenter Charlie McKillop If i’d be interested in a short live radio interview on the tragic loss of Aurukun and Wik influential leader Bruce Martin at the age of thirty nine.

I first really met ‘Waal Waal’ … (respectfully ‘The Departed’ during mourning) … eleven years ago, when I covered an Aak Puul Ngantam wild cattle mustering operation on Cape York Peninsula for The Australian newspaper. The near week long coverage meant I spent time around the camp fire listening in awe as ‘Waal Waal’ held court and outlined his future vision for the Wik people of Aurukun. (It was later when I realised that we had, in fact, met fleetingly when I made very wet portraits of him during his water polo days in the mid 2000’s)

I was later honoured when he officially opened my exhibition of images of the mustering operation – “Aak Paul Ngantam Stockman” (including portraits of all the crew) – at The Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns.

Thereafter ‘Waal Waal’ Martin’s career really took off. He became a member of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council and served as a director of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.

Our last meeting was an impromptu breakfast (with his home made marmalade) in an Aurukun home a couple of years back.

There are a few links here below which document much more of the potential and life cut so cruelly short … and an image of mine that has become synonymous with that life. I … and many many others … will sorely miss you.

And … Yes … the full audio of the interview with Charlie McKillop on ABC Far North is here directly below too … and runs for around six and a half minutes.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-22/far-north-queensland-remembers-aurukun-wik-man-bruce-martin/102629858

https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/play/2014/02/abc-radio-interview-fiona-sewell-aak-puul-ngantam-stockman/

https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/photographs/aak-puul-ngantam-stockman/

Image © Brian Cassey

%%excerpt%% Interview on ABC Far North with presenter Charlie McKillop and guest Brian Cassey talking about the life and Brian's images of Aurukun Wik leader Bruce 'Waal Waal' Martin following his untimely death in Townsville.

Some B&W Success …

Can’t say that I’ve ever entered a Black & White photography specific award in the past … but when I noticed that Monovisions Black and White Photography Magazine was hosting their ‘First Edition’ (inaugural) Monovisions B&W International Photography Awards … I thought … what the hell … why not give it a bash!

I have just had some news today from Monovisions … and I’m a little pleased I did.

Appears I have three dispatches from the awards … winning a Second place and two Highly Commended awards in the Portrait category.

A B&W edition of my ‘The Skin I’m In – II” portrait (Thanks again due to my subject Carol … you’ve done it again!) was selected as Second Place Winner … only topped by the winning portrait work of Marco Gressler from Switzerland. Third place went to the work of Agnieszka Mac Uchman from Poland.

In fact such was the International flavour of the selected works that my two ‘Highly Commended’ images (“Mowisha from Jumbun” and “Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman – Dominic” …  below) sat amongst other acknowledged works from … Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, USA, the Netherlands, Croatia, France, China, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Slovakia, Italy, New Zealand, Germany, Lithuania, Austria, Bangladesh, Qatar, Brazil, Kenya, Canada, Romania, India, Turkey, Portugal, Argentina … and Macau ! To also grab a ‘second’ from amongst all that lot is pretty satisfying.

To the ‘film purest’ I must point out that each of my three selected images started out as full colour digital image files … and not film !!  Sorry bout that …

Images © Brian Cassey … click on each to take you to their relevant Monovisions Photography Awards pages.

 

2017 Monovisions B&W Photography Awards - Portrait - "The Skin I'm In - II" - by Brian Cassey2017 Monovisions B&W Photography Awards - Portrait - "Mowisha from Jumbun" - by Brian Cassey

2017 Monovisions B&W Photography Awards - Portrait - "Aak Puul Ngnatam Stockman - Dominic" - by Brian Cassey

New Essay … Aurukun Day …

A new photo essay I made last weekend – “Aurukun Day” – has now been posted to the web site of the photojournalism collective ‘fotostrada’ in ‘Latest Stories’.

The images document the celebrations in the Cape York Peninsula indigenous community to mark the 110th anniversary of the founding of Aurukun by Presbyterian missionaries. The weekend was also an opportunity to ‘take back’ to Aurukun my work completed locally – “The Aak Puul Ngnatam Stockman”. A multimedia piece was projected on the wall of the local store before the ‘disco’ and my portrait prints were also displayed on the store in the township centre.

Full details of the new essay can be found on the ‘fotostrada’ site here.

Below are just two images from the essay of 23 – top Elder Jock Eundatweakin – and below local kids at the disco event.

Images © Brian Cassey 2014

BCAurukunDayBlog1

BCAurukunDayBlog2

 

‘Proof: Photo Essays From the Top End’ …

Very pleased to be one among the excellent compliment of thirteen photojournalists showing their work next month in Darwin’s new festival of photojournalism  – ‘Proof: Photo Essays From the Top End’.

The festival has not one but two openings in two venues. Friday May 2nd sees work unveiled on the Darwin Waterfront from 6.30pm whilst Saturday May 3rd sees the opening of the display at the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art at noon.

The other dozen photographers exhibiting in ‘Proof’ are Megan Lewis, Clive Hyde, Andrew Quilty, Ed Wray, Martine Perret, Elise Derwin, Daniel Hartley-Allen, Baz Ledwidge, Madi Nagi, Regis Martin & Frederick Mit … and my ‘fotostrada’ colleague Glenn Campbell who is also helping curate the exhibition.

My work on display will be the portraits collection from my “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” set, which has previously been shown at the Global Gallery in Paddington Sydney during the Head On Photo Festival and The Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns.

It promises to be a fantastic show … so if you’re in the ‘Top End’ between the first week in May and the end of the show on June 1st … please do come along to see some excellent photojournalism.

 

Proof Darwin invitation blog

ABC Radio Interview with Fiona Sewell – The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman

Before the opening of my exhibition “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” at “The Tanks Arts Centre” Cairns in February 2014, I was interviewed on the subject by ABC Radio’s talented Fiona Sewell.

Fiona took the time to visit the exhibition and see the images in the last stages of set up (and it shows in the interview) … and it went to air on the morning of February 6th … the day before the ‘launch’ evening.

Many Thanks Fiona !

 

Audio courtesy ABC Far North ©

Interview with Head On Photo Festival …

Following a win in the Head On Portrait Prize at the 2013 Head On Photo Festival Sydney with my image “Stockman” I was interviewed by the festivals Steve Marshall. The video interview covered my reaction to the win with the portrait of Aak Puul Ngantam stockman Dominic Ngakyunkwokka and my photography career to date. It runs for approximately two minutes.